Polygamy has declined in the last decade but remains common in West Africa. For example, 33% of women in Nigeria reported that their husbands have more than one wife (Demographic and Health Survey, 2013). Six West African countries have civil codes that formally prohibit polygamy (Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea and Nigeria) but legal restrictions are rarely enforced. Read on

The number of women seeking divorces is increasing overall in West Africa. “Frustrated by their husbands’ inability to earn a living, and in a society where basic views on relationships have changed, women are asserting more control over their marriages,” explains Dionne Searcey, West Africa bureau chief for The New York Times. Her article offers a series of testimonies from women’s divorce cases. While divorce does not always have a positive outcome, it is a sign that women know their rights and are demanding respect and happiness in their marriages. Read on

In this interview by Défis humanitaires, Jean-Marc Châtaigner, ambassador and France’s special envoy for the Sahel, takes stock of the security situation in the Sahel and analyses the key challenges facing the region. This interview provides a detailed explanation of the French government’s 3D concept - diplomacy, defense and development - which Châtaigner makes 4D by adding “droit” or law and advocating for a rights-based approach. Read on

Guinean deputies passed a new civil code on 29 December 2018 to modernise its laws, but the text sparked controversy as it formally legalises polygamy. Guinea’s president is now trying to stop the new code. President Alpha Condé said, “How can Guinea adopt monogamy in 1960 and intend to legalise polygamy in 2018?” Read on

Fiscal policies may reduce inequalities in Togo, but they impoverish the poorest households. These key findings come from a new OECD study on the impact of fiscal and social protection policies on inequalities and poverty in that country. Read on

In this interview, Samia Nkrumah, daughter of the father of Ghana’s independence, calls for the political unification of Africa. The political unity of Africa is a prerequisite to facilitating its economic integration. “If the 20th century was the century of independence, the 21st century must be the century of Africa’s unification.” Read on

In his most recent article published on the Ideas4Development blog, Laurent Bossard, director of the Sahel and West Africa Club Secretariat, takes a look at the paradox of Sahelian women. Despite the key socio-economic role they play in Sahelian communities, they remain marginalised and are sometimes deprived of their fundamental rights. Read on

“Education is the only way to fight against early marriage,” declared President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré of Burkina Faso in his keynote address at the European Development Days (EDD2018), which were held on 5-6 June 2018 in Brussels. “Women and girls at the forefront of sustainable development: Protect, empower, invest” was the official topic of the 12th edition. Read on

On the occasion of Africa Day 2018, Jay Naidoo, a former minister in Nelson Mandela’s cabinet during South Africa’s first post-apartheid government, reflected on the state of the continent. “We are exhausted by the talk, talk and talk. Our lives are littered with the broken promises of leaders. Our current leaders are out of touch. We are the richest continent under the ground but we are the poorest in the world. It’s time for leadership and governance. It’s time the older generation moved out of the way,” he wrote. Read on

According to the World Press Freedom Index 2018, which ranks 180 countries worldwide, the level of media freedom was categorised as “fairly good” in three West African countries, namely Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde and Ghana. These countries achieved better or similar scores than many OECD member countries. Read on